Favorite Plants- New Zealand Spinach

...ed if you let it. It tends to spread and grow low to the ground. It can be used as a living mulch since it so effectively covers the soil in a vegetable bed. This green keeps on growing and seems to be unaffected by the bugs and problems that affect other greens. I have seen it growing wild among the rocks right along the ocean, so it can handle saline soils. This is a very robust plant. It tolerates drought, bugs, salt and poor soil. And it does...

Read…

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Grub

...uch depends on the moisture content of the feeding materials) which can be used to feed crops. Hey, wait a minute–what happened to the “wastes”? There is absolutely no waste remaining after this conversion–it has all been transformed into valuable resource.” To raise Hermetia illucens you put vegetable and fruit trimmings in a container with a small opening for the black soldier fly females to fly in and lay their eggs and a method for the grubs t...

Read…

What Preparedness Lessons Did You Learn From Hurricane Sandy?

...That meant I was stranded inn Staten Island since I don’t have a car and buses weren’t running. That was a major blow for me. The next day I decided to check out this deli I always pass on my way hone because I knew they had free wifi and I saw they had a cafe level (I’ve never been in there before). Thankfully, they were open, had power, and wifi! From this I learned a few more things: 1) don’t assume power will be restored anytime soon. I shoul...

Read…

SurviveLA Food Review: Mary Jane’s Farm Organic Buttery Herb Pasta

...s add 3/4 cup of boiling water, reseal the bag and wait for ten minutes. I used a Pepsi can stove to boil the water, incidentally. It cooked well, with only a couple of the elbow noodles escaping hydrating and ending as crunchy surprises on my fork. The pouch claims that it holds 1.5 servings: a Mary Jane’s Organics eccentricity. I scarfed the whole thing down without difficulty and I’m a girl. I think Mary Jane intends us to buy more than one dis...

Read…

Tomato Can Stove

...rcoal chimney starter and it is simple to build. 1. Use a 28 ounce can – I used a Trader Joes tomato can. First, drill a bunch of 1/8 inch holes in the bottom. 2. Next, drill eight 1/4 inch holes about 3/4 of an inch from the top and bottom of the can. 3. Lastly, thread three pieces of heavy wire up through the 1/4 inch holes in the top and bottom to function as a stand for the pot. The wires should extend about two inches above and below the can...

Read…